1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to seatback release or removal mechanisms. More specifically, the present invention discloses a push/pull mechanism incorporated into a rear row seat and which facilitates selective forward tumble and/or removal of the seat from within a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is well documented with varying examples of seat tumble and release mechanisms. Uchiyama, U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,151, illustrates a lock slider for a slide fastener incorporated into an operating-lever receiving seat. Locking and unlocking is accomplished by turning an operating lever under the resiliency of a resilient plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,703, issued to Kritzler, teaches an actuating handle for a motor-vehicle door latch and in which a handle extends longitudinally on an outside of the panel and has one end coupled to the latch and another end projecting through the panel and provided with a fork having a longitudinally open seat. A backing plate on an inside of the panel is provided with a transversely extending pivot bar engaged in the seat of the fork. The handle is pivotal about an axis of the bar between a rest position relatively close to the door and an outer actuated position pulled out from the door. Interengaging formations on the bar and in the seat block longitudinal displacement of the handle relative to the backing plate except in the rest position of the handle so that when the handle is moved to or beyond the outer actuated position the formations prevent removal of the handle from the door.
Rees, U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,895, discloses a vertical seat adjuster incorporating, in relevant part, a seat support bracket fixed to the seat and having front and rear arcuate slots. Front and rear levers are pivotally mounted on the vehicle and pivotally secured to the seat support bracket. A lock plate for each lever is slidably mounted on the bracket for movement between an engaged position wherein it engages the pivot means projecting through the slot of the seat support bracket to lock the bracket in a vertical adjusted position. A release position permits the bracket to be movable relative to the pivot means upon rotation of the lever. A manually operable release mechanism selectively and alternately moves the lock plates to a released position and such that the plates are biased to an engaged position.
Japanese Publication 02095991 teaches a forward tumble motorcycle seat including a rectangular plate welded to a body side member of a hinge mounted at the front of the seat slidably detained with a rail plate installed on a rear top of the body. Holes are formed in the plate through which is fitted a pin of a lock lever device. A rectangular slide plate is welded to the bottom of a detent member of a rotation locking device to be detained with a detent groove in a rail plate mounted on the rear top of the body so as to slide in the direction fore and aft. Upon the lever being turned to remove the pin from the associated hole, the seat is permitted to be slid freely fore and aft.
Finally, the WIPO 2004/108471 publication teaches a tip up/slide type car seat with an interlock mechanism, wherein unless a seat cushion is tilted by a tip-up mechanism, a limiting lever is kept unswingably by the pressing of an operation plate by the retaining pin and brought in a state of allowed to abut on a stopper plate. When the seat cushion is tilted by the tip-up mechanism, the guide pin of a flap arm rotates a cam plate which in turn pulls an associated rod, in turn swinging the operation plate. The plate releases the pressing of the limiting lever by the retaining pin and the lever is brought into a state whereby it is allowed to ride on the stopper plate, permitting the seat to be moved to a specified position.